One of the great benefits of modern shipping companies like UPS is the availability of tracking numbers, but it can be frustrating to wait for updates.
In other words, how often does UPS update tracking information and how accurate is it? Find out what I found out by reading on.
Will UPS’s tracking system be updated in 2022?
In 2022, UPS will update package tracking every time a truck arrives or departs a location. This information is not real-time, but it accurately tells you if the package is in transit, on its way to delivery or at the final delivery facility. Tracking is unavailable on Sundays, despite the fact that packages may be in transit.
Be sure to read on if you want to learn more about how your UPS tracking feature is updated and what to expect when using your tracking feature.
How often is UPS tracking updated?
As packages are loaded or unloaded from trucks or planes, UPS scans them to keep track of their progress. This means that UPS’ tracking system is updated each time a package is scanned.
How many updates a day this can mean depends on how far your package is traveling and which shipping service you are using.
When using a truck-based shipping service like UPS Ground, you’ll receive fewer updates than when using other services.
Additionally, you’ll receive fewer tracking notifications when you use Next Day Air Early, as your package will be traveling through as few locations as possible.
From the time the package is accepted by UPS until it arrives at your door, most customers receive six tracking updates.
Tracking updates may be more sparse during busy periods, such as Black Friday and Christmas.
Due to the high volume of packages and employees rushing to meet deadlines and skipping scans, this is the primary cause of this problem.
In reality, you should receive a tracking notification every day to every two days for the average package.
Is UPS Tracking Real-Time and Accurate?
A package’s location is accurately tracked by UPS because the tracking only updates once the package has been scanned.
Packages are individually scanned by a UPS employee as they are loaded into boxes at an Austin, Texas, facility.
Both the individual tracking number for the customer as well as the inventory list for the Austin, Texas facility are updated as a result of this scan.
When it comes to UPS tracking accuracy in terms of real-time movement, the answer is certainly less accurate.
Despite the fact that UPS tracking can pinpoint the exact location of your package, even if it’s in transit between facilities, UPS tracking does not provide real-time GPS location information.
Due to a variety of factors, UPS has decided to forgo GPS tracking on all of its shipments. This would be wasteful, expensive, and potentially dangerous for UPS drivers who would have to operate around the clock with GPS devices.
As a result, while the package’s location is accurate, you won’t get a play-by-play every time it moves around.
Is UPS a Difficult Company to Track?
Comparatively speaking, UPS does a good job of keeping its tracking system up to date. Most of this can be attributed to the scanning method employed by UPS employees.
Scan every time a package is loaded or unloaded from a truck or plane, and every time it arrives or departs from a new location,
Every time a package is scanned, the information associated with that scan is added to the tracking number for that package.
Your tracking tool will alert you to the fact that your package is in transit when an employee scans each package that he or she touches, for example, while loading a truck with packages.
UPS also makes use of cutting-edge technology to ensure that you receive these updates as quickly as possible.
A tracking tool from another company may not have an update for 24 hours, whereas UPS updates take 10 minutes on average.
In the busy season around Christmas, when most employees handle thousands of packages per day, packages do get past employees without being scanned.
Contact UPS if your tracking doesn’t update in 48 hours by visiting their contact page on their website here.
Is UPS Tracking Updated After Drop-Off?
It can take up to 30 minutes for you to receive a delivery notification after your package has been delivered.
Since the driver scans most packages as they exit the truck or as they are placed at your door, this is mostly due to the time it takes UPS’ scanning system to transfer the information to UPS tracking.
In some cases, you won’t receive a shipping notification at all.
Drivers often forget to scan packages as they deliver them during the busiest time of year, which occurs most frequently around the holidays.
Is the UPS tracking system updated on weekends?
Weekends are the only time UPS updates your tracking number. The tracking information is usually not updated on Sundays, however.
Even on weekends, UPS packages are transported, and their tracking numbers are updated by workers scanning them as they are loaded and unloaded from trucks, as well as entering and exiting new facilities.
This means that even if your package is on a truck making its way to you, if the trucker stops and drops it off at an unstaffed facility on a Sunday there’s usually not enough staff to scan the package and keep the tracking information up to date.
A worker who helps distribute packages into trucks will scan your package when it is loaded on Monday, which marks it as being in transit.
See our posts on whether UPS sends text messages, whether UPS delivers at night, and whether UPS ships to PO boxes for more information.
Bottom Line
Once a day, depending on how far your package is traveling and which shipping service you’re using, UPS updates its tracking information.
Every time a package leaves or enters a new facility or is loaded onto a truck, UPS updates its tracking information.
